Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
I see a flash of shock in his green eyes, but he’s not resisting with all the power those arms must hold. Air tickles my armpit hair, and as I look at the outline of his face under my top, I’m not sure if this is still as funny as it used to be or... gay. But it’s not like I can just withdraw now without seeming bothered, so I double down and trap his face under my arm.
His next inhale makes my skin feel odd, but before I decide what to do about it, his fingers find my ribs, and I try to twist away from the vicious tickling. This time, it’s him who won’t let me go.
“Revenge might be a dish best served cold, but I’m hungry for it now,” Cass roars, and his lips tickle the sensitive skin of my armpit.
Fuck. When did my nipples get hard?
“No! Not my kryptonite! So unfair!” I wrestle him, wheezing for breath, and all of a sudden we land on the bed, and it’s like the old times. My heart is so full it could burst.
Using his tickling superpower, he manages to slide his head out from under my T-shirt, all flushed, probably from being barely able to breathe under there.
“Do you surrender?” He asks and bites his lips, using his knees to trap my legs.
I raise my hand. “Truce! I give up!”
He’s… heavier than he used to be.
I look up to meet his gaze, green as pine needles when the sun shines through them. But before I get to say anything more, he crawls off and exits the room, leaving me on my bare mattress.
“Let’s get going!”
I’m at a point where I’d kinda rather stay in and binge movies with him all night, but I get my ass moving. I actually think this little wrestling match broke some barrier between us that needed breaching, and I feel so much less nervous now. Even if overheated from laughing.
“Ready when you are!”
But he’s already at the door, and I smile, excited to have him as my campus tour guide.
Chapter 3
The campus tour would be a snorefest if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m getting shown around by Cass. He makes everything more interesting. Between the jokes we make and him going on tangents about how some particular tree should have been planted next to some bush rather than another, the sun sets. I feel like I’ll fit in here without trouble, especially with Cass as my wingman. Only now I see that the two years without him felt hollow. We should have gone to the same university, and I shouldn’t have wasted two years on a girl who broke up with me anyway.
Even the University buildings are nicer here, and I’ve checked all the local maps for hiking trails, so I know I won’t be bored.
The town is small so we don’t have to drive far to get back to the area we live in, but Cass is excited to show me a few more places.
I still can’t believe he’s with me in the flesh, and each time I look over to the driver’s seat, I’m reminded that this move was the best decision I could make. Once we settle back into our routine, things will be back to normal⸺him and me against the world.
“Hungry?” Cass asks when he parks his old Jeep in the parking lot, and it’s like he’s reading my mind.
“Starving! I’m buying today, so choose wisely.”
Cass grins and steps out of the vehicle. “I’ll make sure to get the most expensive thing on the menu.”
Were he someone else, I’d start worrying, but Cass is the kind of person who likes working with his hands and sleeping on the ground, not someone who finds pleasure in eating fifty-dollar steaks.
I look around the quaint street where lots of people our age are out and about. The evening chill isn’t bad enough to chase everyone indoors, but I still push my hands into the pockets of my hoodie.
“What’s your favorite place? I want to know everything.”
Cass hesitates, but eventually nods toward the nearby buildings. “There’s this cafe, Rainbowology. They have amazing food and a good atmosphere. They’re the local gay spot. But we could also go to the sports bar.”
“No!” I quickly say. “I want to see where you hang out—Unless… they don’t let straight people in?” I’m not sure how these things work. It’s not like good food discriminates.
Cass laughs, already heading in the direction he previously indicated. “Nah, it’s popular with all students, but the owner and all the employees are queer.”
“Cassian! Wait up!” I hear a female voice and when we turn around, two girls walk up to us, holding steaming cups of coffee. “Hey! I just wanted to tell you I passed my exam with flying colors,” one of them says with a bright smile.